Stanislav Libenský (1921-2002) & Jaroslava Brychtová (1924-2020) Arcus 1991 Sculpture in blue fused glass signed and dated lower right H. 75 cm W. 98.5 cm D. 11 cm Provenance: > Galerie Clara Scremini, Paris, exhibited in 1992 > Jean Bauer Collection, Geneva > Private collection, Paris, acquired in 2006 Bibliography: > Catalogue of the Libensky / Brychtova exhibition, Clara Scremini Gallery, Paris, 1992. Cover illustration. > Catalogue "Force du verre", Clara Scremini Gallery, Paris, 2016. Condition report: With its black lacquered wooden base Czech sculptors Libenský and Brychtová are among the great masters of contemporary glass. They made a name for themselves at the 1958 Universal Exhibition in Brussels with their architectural and monumental use of glass. Achieving the feat of exhibiting abroad before the fall of the Wall, the couple also concentrated on teaching in their homeland, which they have never left, making it a point of honour to revive the centuries-old Bohemian glass culture. Our sculpture is typical of their work: monumental, its geometry, its 'veins' and its notched circular edge play with the variations in light. At once immobile and changing, it awakens in those who contemplate it the feeling of being face to face with a veritable fossil of the future. Their works can be found in some of the world's greatest museums: the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the National Museum in Prague, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo... Our sculpture is similar to Arcus 1, which is in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. SBM "Libensky and Brychtova are artists whose work has been resolutely linked to light and space. The beauty of their art is always subservient to their ideas. Exceptional in their knowledge of glass materials and techniques, they have helped to push the limits of glass beyond its maximum potential as an architectural and sculptural material. Their influence has been, and still is, an example of commitment and integrity in Art". Susanne K. Frantz, former Chief Curator of 20th Century Glass, Corning Museum of Glass, New York. "Arcus, unique not only in number but also in its exceptional quality, was created especially for the 1992 Libensky / Brychtova solo exhibition at the Clara Scremini Gallery in Paris, at the height of their artistic expression. This work was the prelude to the creation of further research. Only Arcus remained unique in their work because it did not require any variation in form or colour. It is therefore an accomplished work. This is where its rarity lies, as well as the date of its creation, 1991, a pivotal year in the development of the two artists, as it ushered in a new language. Libensky and Brychkova were passionate about primitive art, which they admired and commented on at length during their visits to the Musée de l'Homme in Paris, which was also their favourite museum. Diligent researchers and astute observers, they relentlessly interrogated the symbolism of primitive art to integrate it into their work. To find the universal in art, beyond cultural differences; to discover what is essential, the simplicity of a line, the sensitivity of a volume, and to let the beauty of a gesture penetrate us. Arcus is the result. Clara Scremini, 2014